Some Special PFA Success Stories

PFA intake volunteers have to make a lot of tough decisions when it comes to certain animals who come into our care with behavioural problems that usually result from abuse, neglect, horrid circumstances, which lead to problems such as terror of humans, separation anxiety, and aggression. These behavioral problems make it very unlikely that the animal will be be adopted.

We have to weigh the potential for rehabilitation and adoptability of the animal against our limited resources and how much of those resources might be consumed to rehabilitate an animal, while juggling the heart-wrenching emotions that go with doing street rescues.

Thankfully, our partnership with the wonderful team of Laureen and Laurisa at Prairie Animal Assistance makes these decisions much easier because we know that we have a safe and caring place for special needs animals where they will get the care they need to be rehabilitated and ultimately find loving homes. Some of our proudest success stories are summarized below.

As with humans, many behavioural problems can be corrected through rehabilitation and a continued environment of love and support. In 2009 began a partnership with Laurisa Osheski and Prairie Animal Assistance Corp., a Registered Charity that rehabilitates rescued animals. Laurisa has over 23 years of training and rehabilitation experience. She uses positive motivation through clicker training to rehabilitate and solve behavior problems in animals.

This partnership has been amazingly successful, first with Ranger (pictured above) a PFA dog suffering from overwhelming separation anxiety issues, Melvin (formerly Malcolm) - the cat who was once described as a nightmare and now has a best friend in young Ryan, who takes him with him for rides on the ATV. More recently an incredible success story of six little feral kittens each found wondering the means streets of Regina at only a few months of age in the cold months of late fall. These wild little kittens had no mother or colony to help them so were scooped up by some caring individuals and sent to live with Laurisa when it became apparent that they would never be tamed without rehabilitation and socialization.

After many months of intense care with Prairie Animals Assistance theses cats are now well on their way to being social and loving pets and they will be ready for adoption to some wonderful special homes in the near future. One sweet and handsome boy, Slick (above), is ready to go and is now available for adoption. We are looking for adopters who will be willing to work with Laurisa to make the transition to new home as stress free as possible.

You can go to HYPERLINK "http://www.prairieanimalassistance.ca" www.prairieanimalassistance.ca and view the UTube videos to see Laurisa at work with rescue horses, dogs, and cats.

Please contact us at saskpeopleforanimals@gmail.com if you are interested in adopting one of these special, well-trained and socialized little cats.

-Alanna

Spring Time Health Hazards for Pets

Spring is a great time for people and their pets, but it also bring with it certain hazards. Click here to read the ASPCA's spring safety tips for pets.

-Alanna

Cats Solving Crimes!

Now there is another upside to owning a cat - they can help solve crimes, too. Click here to read about how cat hair is contributing to world of crime-fighting!

-Alanna

Rocky the rampaging cat

A note from one of our wonderful pet rescue volunteers, Brittany:

"Just wanted to share something funny with you! We have a boy named Rocky...We have child-proof locks on the food cupboards because of his antics with ravaging through them (he was a starving kitten when he was found at my work 2 years ago). Last week I forgot to lock the cupboard and we went out for dinner. This is what I came home to...(I took these pictures before anything was touched...treated it like the crime scene it was...) He looks so innocent doesn't he? He's one of our 5 babies - to avoid looking psychotic I didn't send photos of all of them, but I was tempted to."

-Sarah

A Good Time Was Had By All!

PFA had a fantastic night at Brewsters (South Albert) tonight - food, fun, and fundraising! We raised much needed funds for our spring Trap/Neuter/Release projects and enjoyed visiting among our friends, family and supporters.

It was truly amazing to share such a fun evening with fellow animal lovers! Thanks so much to all who attended.

-Alanna

Such Pretty Little (Stray) Kitties!

Spring is always super busy for PFA. In addition to our spring Trap/Neuter/Release projects, the stray cats keep coming in droves. In the last week we've rescued 3 young, scared and hungry female cats who were all literally sheltering under doorsteps or decks in various areas of the city.

Little miss Kitty Cat (orange tabby) and XIIna (grey tabby) join Marnie as PFA's latest spring rescues. Thankfully we got them before they were pregnant with kittens!

We are in the process of getting these 3 girls spayed, vaccinated and listed for adoption. Now we just need to find them loving permanent homes.

For more information on these sweet girls, please contact us at saskpeopleforanimals.ca.

-Alanna

A special rescue by some special people

Two nights ago, I received a phone call from a young man about a cat. He had a kitten that he said had been found under a building, and he was hoping that PFA could help. I arranged to go over the next day and pick the cat up. I had very little information - just that they couldn't keep her, as they were only allowed one pet, and they already had a cat, and that this cat/kitten was thin, hungry and seemed like it had been homeless for a while.

The next morning, I went to the apartment complex, and discovered that it was a supportive living complex for special needs adults. These amazing people had found that Marnie, a small black female cat, about 7 months old, had been living in a crawl space under their building. Braving scratches and bites from this frightened little girl, they dragged her out, and took excellent care of her until I got there. They checked her for an ear tattoo (she didn't have one), cleaned her up, and even called all of the ads in the paper for lost cats! Not only had many of the residents been involved in this rescue, but they did far more for this little lost cat then most people that PFA deals with. I was touched and impressed. The residents also quizzed me at length about what would happen to Marnie, to ensure that she would be safe from euthanization and any future homelessness.

Marnie is now already spayed, had a wound over her eye treated, and is in loving foster care with Gayle. Once she has had some time to recover and learn to trust again, we will be listing her for adoption.
-Sarah

Cecile the Culvert Cat!

This beautiful cat is Cecile, a tame stray rescued two days ago by one of our intrepid feral team members, Leanne. Leanne and the team have been watching out for this sweet girl all winter in a very difficult spot in which to try to care for a cat.

Here is her story.

PFA was contacted in October by an employee from a company in the north end of the city to inform us about two cats that had been living close by for sometime and were quite skinny. A member of the feral team went to investigate the area and saw a tabby cat down by the water that ran through the culvert. A feeding station and shelter was established for them and maintained by the feral team. Due to the open area around the culvert it created problems over the winter with snow blowing in and making it difficult for the cats to maneuver through. Frequently paths had to be shovelled out for these two cats as they chose to live in the culvert that ran under the road instead of the shelters we provided for them. After the big snow fall we had this winter the feral team knew this area would be snowed in but we had no idea how bad it would actually be. Their feeding station and shelter were not even visible when we got there. The snow was piled waist high and we panicked and shoveled as fast as we could to free these cats as they would have been buried alive if they were in the shelter or the culvert. We got the feeding station and culvert cleared out that day but there was no sign of any cats around. The next day we went back to dig them out again as the wind had blown more snow into the area. We then discovered that a snow plow had come and piled the snow up about 15 feet high over top the culvert entrance. What a terrible thought again knowing that these cats were in that culvert and there was no possible way for the feral team to move 15 feet of snow and no way the cats could get out without our help. We then realized that there would be another entrance on the other side of the road to the culvert. We lucked out and found it and dug like crazy to clear it out.

Cecile who was orginally Cecil as we thought she was a boy, slowly began to appear when the feral team went to feed. She would run when we approached the feeding station but would go behind the safety of a fence in a near by compound and sit and watch. We then discovered that she would actually meow and blink her eyes at us - something a feral cat does not normally do. She allowed us to get fairly close to her and one day she made an attempt to come closer but still did not let us touch her. We decided that she actually looked more female than male due to her small frame and face. With spring coming we knew we had to attempt to trap her as the thought of her having kittens in that remote area was dreadful. After two attempts at setting the trap we lucked out and got her. She went to the clinic to get sterilized and it was then determined that she was indeed female and was pregnant.

Cecile turned out to be a tame domesticated cat. Her story makes us both sad and happy. Sad for the fact that she was a tame cat that had to live where she did for so long over the winter in all that snow and happy that we rescued her when we did. Cecile is a little love bug who melts at the touch of a human and is so very affectionate and loving! It was truly a miracle and a happy ending for her and we can't believe she has survive through all of this. If anyone is looking for a snuggly affectionate lap cat she is the cat for them!

We are still maintaining the feeding station as we think her partner Wayne the tabby cat is still there. He hasn't been seen for sometime but the food is still being eaten. Let's just hope he too is tame and just another lost domesticated cat that we can give a better life to!

Thanks to Leanne and the feral team for their tremendous effort in watching out for the culvert cats. Now, we just need a nice adoptive or foster home for sweet, snuggly Cecile.

For more information on Cecile, contact us at saskpeopleforanimals@gmail.com.

-Alanna

The Story of Buddy and Ugg

Over the past several months, I've written a few times about the hardships faced by tame house cats heartlessly dumped out in the country and left to fend for themselves, including sweet and loving cats like Jazzy and Simon and Super-Kitty.

This week PFA was contacted by a concerned animal lover about the plight of two tame, affectionate and de-clawed house cats who had been abandoned and left to fend for themselves in an unheated barn - without even their most basic natural tools for hunting and self-defense - their claws!

Thankfully, poor Buddy (orange) and Ugg (grey tabby) have been rescued and are safe in foster care with Glen and Deanne, the kind couple who alerted us to their plight. These poor cats were starving, dehydrated, frozen (Ugg has lost one ear) and horribly matted. Both will need to be shaved to get rid of the nasty mats that are painfully pulling on their skin.

However, they are both extremely happy and grateful to be out of the cold and into a safe, warm environment with regular food, water and affection. They love attention from people and are so happy to snuggle into your lap for a bit of the TLC they so badly need. I visited them today and almost wept to see how grateful they were for a kind touch and bit of attention.

Buddy and Ugg will eventually be listed for adoption together, but for now, we are very happy that they have a safe and caring foster home where they can recover from their ordeal.

-Alanna

Our Marvelous Meggie

A few months ago we wrote about a sweet street rescue named Meggie. She was rescued from a feral feeding station and has been loving life in foster care.

This beautiful girl is very special and she is searching for someone special to adopt her. Besides being exceptionally sweet, loving and affectionate, Meggie has Feline Leukemia.

Meggie was found at one of PFA’s feral cat feeding stations. Assumed at first to be feral, she had been eating there for several weeks and living under a concrete step. However, one day in late November, just at the onset of the really cold weather, she began a “conversation” with one of the feeders, sitting near the dish crying, seemingly for help. With a little patience and persistence – and some smelly sardines - within the hour Meggie decided to trust and she simply melted to human touch.

Due to a puncture wound on her neck we decided, just as a precaution, to have her tested for FeLV when we took her to be sterilized. Sadly, Meggie tested positive. However, she is, at about two or three years old, healthy, vibrant and playful, displaying no signs of illness. On a diet of very high quality, additive- and preservative-free food, she is thriving. Into her food is mixed a supplement of Calcium Ascorbate (simply inexpensive, buffered Vitamin C) which, given in relatively high doses, has been found to boost the immune system and delay the onset of symptoms of the disease, even in some cases, cure it. Of course, that is our hope for Meggie. With luck and the proper care, she could live a relatively healthy and long life. It is our hope and prayer that one day a retest for FeLV could possibly even prove this this simple, healthy regime could bring a negative result.

Meggie is not only thriving in her foster home but she is providing her two caregivers with an incredible amount of love, joy and entertainment. She even has her own Facebook page! It is unfathomable to think of what her fate would have been had she been left to live under that concrete porch.

As great as Meggie’s life is now, she needs to find a forever home very soon. Feline Leukemia is transmittable to other felines, so she would have to be in a single-cat home or one with already infected cats.

This sweet cat got her second chance when she was rescued. She has so much to give back and just needs that special someone who needs her too. Please consider adopting this marvelous and deserving sweet girl. You would be saving a life well worth saving!

For more information on Meggie, please contact us at saskpeopleforanimals@gmail.com.

-Alanna

Two Big and Beautiful Boys

PFA recently rescued two large, lovely and laid-back male cats, Trueheart (fluffy tabby) and Rudy (black) after being notified by concerned citizens.

Rudy was rescued from under the deck of a condo complex in East Regina, bleeding from a serious head wound and in need of veterinary care. Trueheart was sheltering under a patio in the North Central area of the city and suffered frostbite from his time outside.

Rudy's foster mom describes him as total zen, a gentle teddy-bear of a cat. Trueheart's foster mom says he is a is a truly wonderful cat that is so laid back and loving, it's hard understand why anyone would have abandoned him.

Both these boys are sweet, affectionate and well-behaved; they also fit immediately fit in to their multiple cat foster homes. They will both make terrific pets for some lucky adopters out there!

Meanwhile, we are happy to have them in our care.

-Alanna

Reading Your Cats Mind

Do you ever wish you could read your cat's mind? It's easier than you think.

Petplace.com has some up with 6 tips to help you figure out what is going on your cat's fuzzy feline head!

-Alanna

A happy ending for best buddies

Last fall, two tiny kittens were discovered in two different locations on the street on the same night by our dedicated feral team. These little guys were way too small to survive on their own, especially with the cold fall nights.

Delee, another dedicated member of our feral team, took these two babies in to foster, named them Wally (black one) and Lola (grey and white), and quickly decided to adopt them. 6 months have now passed, and these two rescued kitties are thriving with lots of love. Although they are not actually related to each other, they are as close as litter mates, as evidenced by the photos above! Wally and Lola would have either died on the street, or grown up to be feral street cats. Instead, they are happy housecats with a wonderful family, and they are getting sterilized this week.

-Sarah

Mooki!

This pretty little tabby is Mooki, a 6 year old female cat rescued by our dedicated volunteer and foster home coordinator, Michelle.

Mooki is the 3rd tame stray cat rescued by Michelle in as many months! Michelle also rescued Phineas and Oliver who went on to find adoptive homes quite quickly, so we are hoping for the same outcome for Mooki.

Like Phineas and Oliver, Mooki was abandoned and left on her own when her owners moved from the area. It's very sad that abandonment is so common in our city, especially given our harsh winter climate. Thankfully there are people like Michelle who watch out for cats like this!!

Mooki is slowly adjusting to life as house pet again and enjoys rubbing your legs, rolling on the floor and petting. However, like many cats that spend time as strays outside, she is wary of other animals.

For more information on Mooki, please contact us at saskpeopleforanimals@gmail.com.

-Alanna

The Zen of Cats

I put down my book

"the Meaning of Zen"

and see the cat smiling into her fur

as she delicately combs it

with her rough pink tongue.

"Cat, I would lend you this

book to study

but it appears that you have

already read it."

She looks up and gives me

her full gaze.

"Don't be ridiculous," she purrs.

"I wrote it".

-Dilys Laing (from the book "Cat Muses")

-Alanna

A Happy Update on Mitzi

Last spring we were thrilled to write about the adoption of Mitzi, a very shy and traumatized cat who had been rescued from a hoarding situation and spent 5 months hiding in the basement of her foster home before gradually getting used to people.

Mitzi fit in well in her new home right from the beginning and has continued to progress into a happy lap cat. Her family recently sent this update to let us know how far this sweet girl has come:

You would not recognize Mitzi these days! She's full of piss and vinegar and is quite a little instigator. She runs all over the house, jumping over stuff and giving Buddy a run for his money. She greets Ed at the door and falls over on her side, then rolls over on her back and lets him rub her tummy. Honestly, what a little prize she's turned out to be. She's very gregarious with us and certain family members but is still quite shy with strangers. We can't believe the difference from her first day here to now. There's hope for all animals, with a little patience, and we are so happy Mitzi came home with us.

This is one more example of the great work PFA foster homes do with timid and frightened cats to enable them to be adopted and become happy house pets.

We are so happy that Mitzi found a wonderful home where she is very happy and very much loved!

-Alanna

A Tale of Two Kittens

Last summer we wrote about a litter of kittens that remarkably survived exposure to distemper. These lucky little cats were part of a litter of nine kittens that one generous momma cat was caring for out on the streets (her own six plus another three that she'd adopted)!

Batman and Robin were two of those kittens, adorable little black cats who were placed into a foster home together to be socialized so they could find loving forever homes.

The two cats look alike and are siblings,but that is where the similarity ends. Batman nicely integrated into the household and became a friendly and loving little cat who was adopted by a wonderful family that adores black cats.

Robin was very timid and spent much of his time hiding and avoiding his foster family. We didn't know if he would ever be adoptable. However, with patience and time, Robin has begun to overcome his fear. He will now eat treats right from people's hand, and he loves to play with string toys and with the other cats. He also likes to sleeps with his foster mom at night, cuddlign and purring away. Although he is still shy, Robin has come a long way and is ready to be listed for adoption after 7 months in foster care.

Once again, we are most grateful to our dedicated foster homes who work with these cats and give them a chance to be happy and cherished pets in loving homes. For more information on this sweet boy, please contact us at saskpeopleforanimals@gmail.com.

-Alanna